Thanks to the Mercury News for the photos of our 5th Annual TiVo “Santa Run Silicon Valley,” with a sold-out gathering of 4,200 participants dressed like Santa Claus running through downtown San Jose.

Fortunately, this story is a “Claus with a Cause.” When state cuts threatened funding for Christmas in the Park seven years ago, then-Mayor Chuck Reed and Councilman Sam Liccardo sought our help to keep a holiday tradition enjoyed by 600,000 people possible. Our generous members, led by TiVo, stepped forward; along with Ernst & Young, Pinger, Irvine, the Earthquakes, Stryker, Umpqua Bank, Salas O’Brien and Lyft. In our first 5 years, our foundation has been able to donate nearly $350,000 to Christmas in the Park and Holiday Ice, along with 2,500 children’s books for Reading Partners’ tutoring programs in underserved schools.

Building a great race is fun. Building community and serving others is much more rewarding.

Carl GuardinoCEO, Silicon Valley Leadership Group Foundation

Women’s March on Jan. 21 is a worthy cause

Kudos to Jordan Spiegel, her aunt and any other San Jose women who will fly to Washington, D.C. for the Jan. 21 Women’s March on Washington (Local women to rally in D.C., Page 1B, Dec. 19).

For those San Jose women who cannot make it to Washington,, there will be a rally Jan. 21 at 10 a.m.from city hall to Cesar Chavez Park.

All can join: women, men, everyone.

Michal LubinSan Jose

Stanford band is an embarrassment to university

I’m saddened to see the responses from the Stanford band to the recent ban and governance changes. Instead of complaining about the penalties the band needs to focus on how to improve the quality of the entertainment they provide to the audience.

I’ve been a fan of Stanford football since 1971. Some of my best memories are of watching the Stanford band. My experience the last five years is completely the opposite. Their show at halftime isn’t entertaining, it’s boring and embarrassing. The announcers diatribe isn’t funny and worst of all the music is average at best. The only people the band is entertaining are themselves.

I hope the band can turn this things around and once again become a source of pride for the university.

Jonathan ZatzSan Jose

Governor can commute death penalty sentences

The Mercury News article (“How will Brown deal with the death penalty,” Page 1A, Dec. 16) makes the point that Gov. Jerry Brown “…has never been forced to make one of the weightiest decisions governors face: whether to spare a convicted criminal from execution.” Brown should not feel forced, but should welcome his unique opportunity to save a life, given his moral beliefs as a faithful citizen. Yes, the governor is obligated to observe state law allowing capital punishment. However, he is also authorized — by state law — to commute the sentences of those on death row.

Gov. Brown should get over whatever political wounds he suffered during the Supreme Court Rose Bird era, and think of the mortal wounds “…of those doomed to die.” He should note that pro-death penalty advocates are not reluctant in those efforts to resurrect the death penalty in California.

It is repulsive that the death penalty still lives in California.

Henry OrganMenlo Park

Why Planned Parenthood doesn’t deserve funding

The Mercury News Editorial (“GOP war on women is going nuclear,” Editorial, Dec. 16) supports Planned Parenthood, pointing out that abortions are only 3 percent of the services it provides annually. Does the public realize this percentage averages out to more than 300,000 abortions annually? To the great numbers of compassionate Americans equally concerned with born and unborn persons, claims of “look at all the other valuable services Planned Parenthood provides” do little to distract from this intentional loss of human life, almost 10 times greater than the number of American who die each of traffic fatalities. Let’s keep the Hyde Amendment in place and fund organization offering genuine health services for women without the abortion option.

Scott WesslingSan Jose

Get ready for four years of extreme name calling

Keith De Filippis (Letters, Dec. 19) objects to President Obama wanting to investigate Russian interference in our most essential political process and denigrates it as name-calling and says it isn’t “classy.” He considers it juvenile and immature. He’s going to love the next four years with a president who won the election by calling names like a bratty four-year-old long past his nap time. After a president and first family that have personified class, we’re in for a term that personifies crass. Obama showed how much a man can grow to fit the office. Trump will show how much the office can shrink to fit the man.